Green Slime

thaywood

thaywood

Dedicated LVC Member
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Okay. I'd like to get some input/opinions. When I bought my new front air spring/shocks for my '96 from Arnott, I put green slime in the springs prior to installation in the hopes of curtailing any dryrot leaks that may occur in the future. That was over a year ago and so far, no problems. Since then I have read a few threads here in which people have said not to do that because bad things can happen. Like the slime can get into the compressor and gum up the system. I don't think that will happen since I just put it directly into the springs themslves, not the air lines. Also, I have heard that the slime crystalizes and cuts the air springs causing leaks. I don't know about this, but I have had a bottle of green slime sitting in my utility room for a couple of years and it is just as fluid as it was when I bought it. No signs of crystalization. The reason I ask is that my '97 LSC may have a possible leak in the front springs. The shocks are still in excellent condition and I don't want to buy new ones yet, nor can I afford it right now. Here's what it's doing: If I park it at night and leave the suspension on, the front end will be on the ground the next morning. If I turn the suspension off when I park it, it will not drop at all. What I think is that there is a dryrot crack in the spring at the fold where it sits in "curb mode". If I turn off the suspension before it vents, it won't drop. If I let it vent, it drops. So I figure a little green slime in the spring will settle at the bottom and keep it from leaking around that fold. Any other suggestions, other than buying new ones? Also, I really like the stiffer ride of the LSC shocks. Arnott doesn't make shocks specifically for the LSC, nor does anyone else that I know of except maybe Ford. And I sure al hell can't afford Ford's price. So, does anyone think I'm nuts, or should I give it a shot? Thanks.
 
thaywood said:
???
The slime hasn't let me down. So far it's been in my front springs for over a year and no problems whatsoever.
Click to expand...

oops...sorry, you're talking about your 97 which never did have the slime...:p

if you want a quick temp fix and wait til you buy new set of bags you can either apply a crap load of ultra black silicone or jack it up and use a crap load of silicone tape for a cleaner look
 
Um... the slime stuff is not only not a good idea, but its a TEMPORARY solution. In short by now the stuff has probably hardened and may actually shorten bag life A LOT.

The only "idea" to suggest is to spray the inside of the bag with silicone spray and suck. Also make sure the drier is indeed dry (take apart and bake in oven).
 
Id be afraid of it getting into the compressor and causing more problems down the road.
 
unity said:
Um... the slime stuff is not only not a good idea, but its a TEMPORARY solution. In short by now the stuff has probably hardened and may actually shorten bag life A LOT.

The only "idea" to suggest is to spray the inside of the bag with silicone spray and suck. Also make sure the drier is indeed dry (take apart and bake in oven).
Click to expand...

Yeah. I wonder about that too. The thing is, that bottle of slime in my utility room has been there for at least two years and it's still slimy. It hasn't hardened a bit. But I may still try the silicone spray too. The problem is that the shocks are still in excellent working order, but the springs are leaking. I just can't justify spending that much money on new air springs and shocks when the new ones won't have the same ride or handling characteristics as the ones on the car now. The shocks on my '97 LSC are substantially stiffer than the new Arnotts on my '96 base. I like the handling and ride of the LSC better. So I need to "band-aid" the air springs until the shocks wear out. Then I'll get some new ones.

k9t8m said:
Id be afraid of it getting into the compressor and causing more problems down the road.
Click to expand...

I don't think that will happen since the slime settles to the bottom of the spring. There's probably not much chance of it getting into the compressor. And like I said, I've had the stuff in my '96 for over a year and no problems yet...knock on wood.
 
It *could* get into the lines. But what would have to happen may not even be possible. You would have to be venting and hit a bump. The force of the bump would "fling" the stuff up in the bag. Then it may get into the line. Dunno. But while it does settle on the bottom, it sure gets tossed around a lot too when you think about it.

I spray mine inside and out with silicone spray. It may or may not help. I also take apart the compressor and lube the piston with silicone spray.
 
unity said:
It *could* get into the lines. But what would have to happen may not even be possible. You would have to be venting and hit a bump. The force of the bump would "fling" the stuff up in the bag. Then it may get into the line. Dunno. But while it does settle on the bottom, it sure gets tossed around a lot too when you think about it.

I spray mine inside and out with silicone spray. It may or may not help. I also take apart the compressor and lube the piston with silicone spray.
Click to expand...

I'm planning to try the silicone tape idea this weekend if my order of tape arrives by then. I had to get it off ebay because I could not find it at any hardware store around here. I'll also try the silicone spray idea. ANything to keep the springs from leaking just a little while longer. I really like the stiffer ride and better handling of my '97 LSC as compared to my '96 base model. I don't want to have to replace the front shocks with generics until absolutely necessary.
 
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